Sarah Spillane’s Around the Block is the story of American Dino Chalmers (Christina Ricci) – an edgy and charismatic drama teacher with a passion for Shakespeare. When the opportunity arises for her to work at a school in inner Sydney, she embraces the chance to introduce the magical world of theatre as an alternative to life on the tough streets of Redfern, Sydney, Australia. The story centers on the developing relationship between Chalmers and Liam, a sixteen-year-old urban Aboriginal boy who lives ‘around the block’ in Redfern. As well as presenting Liam with an alternative to life on the tough streets of Redfern, Chalmers’ American idealism becomes a counterpoint for racial tensions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The film provides an intimate insight into Redfern, a third world ghetto town that exists in the middle of an otherwise illustrious city, provoking an emotional and engaging journey towards a hope and the future.

Around the Block opens theatrically in Los Angeles August 1st at the Arena Cinema in Hollywood and stars Christina Ricci and Hunter Page-Lochard in an acclaimed debut performance, with Jack Thompson, Damian Walshe-Howling and Ruby Rose.